Picture frame



H. E. SCHARLING PicTuRE FRAME June 1, 1937.

Filed June 12, 1936 DNIIIIIII /6 INVENTOR. 7'[E Eugchnrl BY ATTORNEY.

Patented June 1, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in picture frames and similararticles; and the invention has reference, more particularly, to a novelpicture frame structure having removable back and means to interlock theback to the main frame against warping, gapping or other displacementwith risk of escape or disarrangement of the enclosed picture or thelike.

This invention has for an object to provide a novel frame structurehaving a removable back, said frame and back having cooperative meansfor interlocking the same together in operative assembled relation.

The invention has for another object to provide a frame structure havinga back slidable thereinto from the lower end of the frame; said back,when thus assembled with the frame, having its lower end portionprojecting downwardly from the frame per se so as to form a footing orsupport; said lower projecting end portion of the back having anexternal covering of non-abrasive material; and means being provided tointerlock said lower end of the back to the frame per se so as toprevent warping, gapping or other relative displacement of frame andback.

Other objects of this invention, not at this time more particularlyenumerated, will be understood from the following detailed descriptionof the same.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanyingdrawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front face View of a frame structure according to thisinvention; Fig. 2 is a side edge elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is afragmentary vertical section, taken on line 33 in Fig. 1, but drawn onan enlarged scale; Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section, taken online 44 in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary rear face view of the backper se, with covering parts broken away; and Fig. 6 is a fragmentaryhorizontal section, taken on line 6-6 in said Fig. 3.

Similar characters of reference are employed in the above describedviews, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawing, the reference character I indicates a mainframe, which may be made of metal or any other suitable material; saidframe I having a front face flange 2 extending around the entireperiphery thereof, and

a back face flange 3 extending only across the top and down the sidesthereof. The bottom portion 4 of frame I is cut away to provide acrossthe width of the frame, betweenthe free edge of said bottom portion 4and the plane of said back face flange 3, an opening 5, through whichthe glass front 6, picture 1 and cushioning member 8 and eventually theframe back member itself may be entered and thus disposed within and inoperative assembled relation to the main frame; said bottom. portion 4serving as a supporting ledge for the glass, etc., when deposited withinthe frame.

The reference character 9 indicates the removable back member or panelfor the frame. This may be made of any suitable sheet material 10 ofproper thickness, such as heavy cardboard, wood, metal, etc. Said backmember or panel 9 is provided with a covering material I0 extending overand preferably adhered to its exterior rear face. Marginal portions llof said covering ma- 15 terial are inturned and bound around theperiphery of said back member or panel 9 and secured or adhered to theinner face of the latter. This covering material is preferably made ofsoft, nonabrasive material, such as a suitable textile ma- 20 terial, e.g. velvet, or it may be made of leather, paper or any other materialhaving relatively non-abrasive characteristics. Said back member orpanel 9, as thus constituted, possesses a width to slidingly fit intoand between the sides 25 of the frame I, so as to be overlapped by theback face flange 3 of the latter; and the same possesses a lengthsomewhat in excess of the total length of the frame 1, so that, wheninserted within the latter, a lower marginal end 30 portion thereof willproject clear of the lower end of frame I, thereby being adapted toserve as a footing F for resting the frame suitably erected upon thesurface of a table, shelf or other place where the frame and its contentis 35 desired to be displayed. Owing to the provision, in connectionwith said back member or panel, nonabrasive covering materiallfi,marginal portions ll of which extend over and around said projectinglower end thereof, the footing afforded 40 by said lower end isnon-abrasive, and consequently all risk of scratching the surface uponwhich the frame is stood is avoided. Hinged, in any suitable manner, tothe rear exterior face of said back member or panel 9 is an easel leg I245 for supporting the frame in erected position at the desired place ofdisplay. Back member or panel 9 may also be provided with an attachedsuspension link or loop I3, whereby the frame 50 may be suspendedagainst a wall, should: such method of display thereof be desired. Inthe use of the frame, the front glass 6 is first inserted through thebottom opening 5 to lie within the frame behind the front face flange 552 thereof, and then the picture 1, and the cushioning member 8 to bedisposed behind the same, are inserted into the frame, whereupon theback member or panel 9 is slid upwardly through bottom opening 5 behindthe aforesaid previously inserted parts, to lie between the latter andthe back face flange 3 of the frame.

In order to prevent warping, gapping or other distortion or displacementof the inserted back member or panel 9, with attendant risk of possibleescape or displacement of the framed picture and associated parts, novelmeans are provided for interlocking the inserted back member or panel 9to the main frame. This means comprises the following arangements.Applied to the interior face of said back member or panel 9, adjacent tothe lower end portion thereof, is a metallic plate [4 which is suitablysecured to the body of said back member or panel 9. A preferred methodof so securing said plate i4 is to provide the same, at its oppositesides with clenching prongs 15 which are pierced through the back memberor panel 9 and then clenched over the rear face thereof, prior toapplying the covering material i8 thereto. Integral with and projectingfrom the lower end of said plate I4 is an upwardly directed lock tonguel6 which is doubled or bent upwardly therefrom, so that the free endportion of said lock tongue is forwardly spaced or offset from the innerface of said back member or panel. Preferably the free end portion ofsaid lock tongue I6 is somewhat reversely curved to form at its innerside a nosing ll. Provided in the bottom or ledge portion 4 of the mainframe is a, slotted. opening l8 inwardly spaced from its rearward freemargin, and located correspondingly to the location of said lock tonguei5 relative to the back member or panel 9. When the back member or panel9 is slid upwardly into the main frame, in the manner previouslydescribed, the lock tongue 16 will be caused to enter upwardly throughsaid opening l8, and its nosing I? will spring over the adjacent marginof the latter, as shown most clearly in Figs. 3 and 6 of the drawing.Such engagement of these parts firmly interlocks the lower end of saidback member or panel to the lower end of the frame, and so anchors theformer to the latter that not only is all tendency of the lower end ofthe back member to bulge outwardly or gap away from the frame arrested,but the back member is also held against accidental outward slidingdisplacement when the frame is lifted or moved about. Back member orpanel 9 being thus held against warping, bulging, gapping, or likedistortion or displacement assures against any relaxing of the backingof the picture contained in the frame, and consequently shifting, escapeor other undesired movement of the picture relative to the frame isefficiently prevented.

From the above it will be obvious that a very sturdy and satisfactoryframe for pictures and like matter desired to be displayed is providedby the instant invention. It will also be understood that variouschanges could be made in the disclosed construction and many apparentlywidely different embodiments of this invention could be made withoutdeparting from the scope thereof, as defined in the herefollowingclaims. It is therefore intended that all matter contained in the abovedescription or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted asillustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. In a frame for pictures or the like, in combination, a, main frame, aremovable back therefor, said frame having a slotted bottom flange, saidback having a lower end portion extending below said frame bottomflange, and an upwardly directed lock tongue secured to said backadjacent to the bottom edge of its lower end portion and adapted toenter through the slot of said frame bottom flange so as to interlocksaid frame and back together, the free end portion of said lock tonguebeing of reversely curved formation whereby a yieldable snap lockcooperative with a margin of said slot is provided.

2. In a frame for pictures or the like, in combination, a main frame ofchanneled cross sectional shape having the rear portion of its lower endcut away to provide a forward supporting ledge and an entrance openingrearward thereof, said supporting ledge having a perforation therein, aremovable back slidable through said entrance opening into said frame,said back having a lower end portion extending below said supportingledge, and an upwardly directed lock tongue secured to said backadjacent to the bottom edge of its lower end portion and adapted toenter through said perforation, the free end portion of said lockingtongue having yieldable neans to interlock said frame and back together.

3. In a frame for pictures or the like, in combination, a main frame ofchanneled cross sectional shape having the rear portion of its lower endcut away to provide a forward supporting ledge and an entrance openingrearward thereof, a removable back slidable through said entranceopening into said frame, said back comprising a panel and a coveringextending over the outer face and around the marginal portions thereof,said back being of a length in excess of the length of said framewhereby when assembled with the latter an exteriorly projected footingfor said frame is provided by its lower end, said supporting ledge ofthe frame having an opening therethrough adjacent to its free margin,and an upwardly directed lock tongue springing from said back adjacentto its lower end and adapted to enter through said ledge opening so asto interlock said frame and back together.

4. In a frame for pictures or the like, in combination, a main frame ofchanneled cross sectional shape having the rear portion of its lower endcut away to provide a forward supporting ledge and an entrance openingrearward thereof, said supporting ledge having an opening therethrough,a removable back slidable through said entrance opening into said frame,said back comprising a panel and a covering of non-abrasive materialextending over the outer face and around the marginal portions thereof,said back being of a length in excess of the length of said framewhereby when assembled with the latter an exteriorly projecting footingfor said frame is provided by its lower end, a plate secured to theinner face of said back adjacent to said lower end thereof, and anupwardly directed lock tongue springing from said plate and adapted toenter through said ledge opening so as to interlock said frame and backtogether when assembled.

HENRY E. SCI-IARLING.

